Practice What You Teach: Write it down!

As 2016 comes to an end I’m pretty excited to be able to say that I wrote a weekly blog about my Pilates and movement practice in my life. When I first committed to a weekly blog I was a little nervous that I would have enough to write about and be committed enough to write EVERY week!  It’s kind of fun to go back and see what I was doing throughout the year. It is also a huge reminder for me at the importance of success boarding!

marloNever heard of success boarding?  I hadn’t either until I started working with business coach Marlo Higgins this past year.  In a nutshell success boarding is simply writing down your successes on a regular basis.  Once a week is what I find works best for me.  It sounds so simple but it’s amazing what a big impact it can have on just about any aspect of your life.   I’ve been using this technique in my business, but realized as I reflected on my blog this past year that essentially what I was doing by writing the blog was success boarding.*

You see, what happens when you physically write or type something is that you have to acknowledge it.  You realize that even though what you are doing may not be absolutely perfect…you are still doing it, you are making progress and you are learning and evolving along the way.  And when you write about it every week you start having a list, a written record of all you are doing. Instead of focusing on things like what went wrong, the workout you didn’t get in, or the 1 exercise you couldn’t do perfectly….you start to focus on the fact that you had a crazy week but still worked out, that you are doing new things, stepping outside your comfort zone, and continuing to evolve in your life and your body.  It can really change your perspectives, your attitude, and keep you moving in the right direction!

I know it’s not practical for everyone to write a blog or even a journal entry each week about your movement practice but what about a mini success log every week? What if you listed 5 positives about your movement practice each week in a little journal for 2017?  These could be short and sweet like:

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  1. Went to Pilates even though I didn’t really feel like it
  2. Tried a new class
  3. I noticed my posture while driving
  4. My back hasn’t hurt in a long time
  5. Stretched at my chair at work today

I love to get my purple pen out and a cute journal or notebook and write…so I’ve decided to add Movement Success Boarding to my weekly routine!  I’ll still be writing my weekly blog and I’ll definitely be sharing some of my successes with you along the way in 2017.  If you decide to try this yourself I would love to hear about how it goes for you and what you learn along the way!!

P.S.   Here is my Movement success board list for this week:

  1. Daily walks with Max (even when the weather was miserable!)
  2. A great morning reformer workout with my staff
  3. Dancing with my daughter
  4. Doing my Sat. Morning 50 squats at home that I usually do with my Return to Life Mat class even though we didn’t have class this week.
  5. Watching my son run laps in our house, jumping jacks, and do push ups on Christmas Eve when he couldn’t get to sleep!! (I love that he thought to use movement as a tool to help him sleep- definitely a parenting success!)

Have a Happy New Year!!!

*If you’re in the Iowa area Marlo is the keynote speaker at a Women’s Power Luncheon on February 2 in Cedar Rapids and she’s going to be talking about Success Boarding.    Get a ticket here!

Is it better to do Pilates Mat classes or Pilates Equipment classes?

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IMG_2871Have you ever wondered what is better- Mat Pilates or Equipment Pilates?  Or maybe you are curious about what the difference is between the mat work and the equipment work.  Keep reading and hopefully we’ll answer your questions!

First of all it’s important to realize that Pilates is a method of exercise and there are lots of different ways you can practice Pilates. The effectiveness of the Pilates work doesn’t necessarily come from having a particular piece of equipment to use, but really comes from HOW you do it. That being said, the Pilates equipment was to designed to help you learn the method more efficiently and to allow your body lots of different variations to do different movements.

What is Mat Pilates?

When we talk about Mat Pilates, we are talking about using the Pilates method to do exercises using only your own body as resistance.   Sometimes we use small props in the mat work such a a small ball, a theraband or a Pilates Magic Circle(a small ring that provides flexible resistance).   Joseph Pilates created a sequence of exercises that is often called the traditional Pilates Mat sequence. Since the method is highly adaptable to any body, there are lots of different variations of these exercises that can be incorporated into any workout. The mat work is especially nice when you are traveling or just don’t have access to any equipment.

What is  Pilates Equipment?

Joseph Pilates designed spring based equipment to support and advance the body while practicing the Pilates method of exercising. The movements that we do during mat work and while using the equipment are very similiar. The springs of the equipment are often referred to as extra muscles, or an extention of the body.  They allow the body to experience a movement that they maybe could not do otherwise. They help teach the body how to move properly so that it can repeat that movement in other situations.

What should I do?

I like to encourage our clients to do a mix of both mat work and equipment work.  During private sessions, your instructor will combine various mat and equipment exercises to create a workout program optimal for your body’s needs.  If clients are primarily taking group classes I really encourage them to take a mix of both mat and equipment classes.

What are the benefits of doing both?

Doing the Pilates Method in a variety of ways will create the optimal results in your body and allow you to continue to progress through the exercises.  The different pieces of equipment and mat work really work together to create change in your body.  For instance, there may be a particular movement or exercise that is challenging for you( for example: teaser on the reformer long box).  By practicing the mat variation of this exercise you will create the strength and balance to help you perfect it on the reformer.  Another great example is an exercise called the roll-up.  In the mat work we try to leave the legs anchored to the mat as we roll down through the spine to a lying position, and then roll back up to a starting position with the same control.   Doing this same exercise on the Pilates equipment called the Cadillac(holding on to a bar attached to springs), teaches your body this same movement and helps you build the strength to do the mat version, in a very supported way.

Is Mat or Equipment better? 

Both Mat and Equipment Pilates are great for your body and equally effective.   If you have the opportunity I suggest using a variety of both mat work and equipment work to help you strengthen, balance and align your body to receive optimal results!

Try it today!

Worried about your plank?

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plank4A common question I get from clients new to Pilates is, “Are we going to be doing a lot of planks? They really hurt my wrists or my back or….fill in the blank.”  The quick short answer is no.  You do not have to be able to do a plank to practice Pilates.

You see Pilates is a system of exercises that is designed to strengthen the entire body from the center out.  As you begin your Pilates practice you’ll find that the majority of the exercises are done lying on your back or your belly and focus on you figuring out how to engage from your center.

As your body starts to figure out how to engage from your center the method will continue to challenge you by asking you to do whole body movements the engage, strengthen, and increase balance in your musclature.  As you continue to progress in your own strength and balance these exercises will progress to continue to challenge you.  You will naturally progress to more challenging exercises.  Eventually you may find yourself strong and balanced enough to do exercises that require you to support your body in plank-like or side-plank like position.

I promise by the time you get to these exercises….you will be ready for them and we’ll teach you how to do them without pain or injury.

Practice What You Teach: Jump Splits??

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“Mom, how are your jump splits?” says my daughter.  Me,”My what? What do you mean?”  I immediately have a vision of the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders…   She then jumps in the air, does a leg split and lands in almost a full split on the floor.  It was pretty impressive and I laughed because I can’t imagine even attempting to do that!

Aubri had just been showing me one of her latest dances she had choreographed. She was planning to make a dance she could teach me and I could learn for my birthday this year.  (It’s 6 plus months away which she thought would give me plenty of time to learn it!!) She was hoping to put a jump split into the dance and wanted to see how close I was to being able to do one.


When I mentioned I couldn’t do a split she asked to see mine. So I tried.  Then she says, “We’ll have to just practice holding your split so you can get more flexible”.  Since I’m no where close to being able to do a full split the practicing was not so easy and fairly uncomfortable as I had to hold my body weight up with my upper body so I wouldn’t hurt something!  She notices this and says Mom maybe you can try a ball and pulls out an exercise ball from her closet.  Sure enough I was able to hold my split somewhat comfortably sitting on the ball.  After she had me hold the front split on the ball she said now try your split again.  Sure enough it was better than my first attempt.  I can honestly say that being able to do a split was never a goal of mine, but after our practice time I was starting to think it might be a fun challenge to work towards!!

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Lessons learned from my daughter this week:

  1. There is value in trying something you probably would have never thought of on your own.  My body can always use movements that help open my hips and stretch my leg muscles. Practicing my splits with my daughter was a fun way to work on something my body needed!
  2. We are usually much more capable then we realize.  Sometimes it just takes someone else to help us realize that we could actually accomplish something that our own mind wouldn’t even consider.  Practicing a split is something I don’t usually do because it seems pretty out of reach for me. But clearly after a little playing around and a prop to help me out, I found a way I could easily practice!
  3. Props can be an amazing tool in helping you reach your movement goals.  OK, I know this as a Pilates teacher, but it was a nice reminder that sometimes someone else’s keen eye and creative ideas(even if she is only eight!) can be a huge help in finding and using a prop that helps your body move better and create more balance in your body.

 

#PracticeWhatYouTeach: Pilates and Rodeo??

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One of my favorite job perks as a Pilates teacher is that is has changed how I look at the world.  If I’m just getting introduced to someone, walking through the grocery store or maybe watching a sporting event on TV…I can’t help but look at how people move.  I automatically notice what moves well and what doesn’t, I notice the balance in their body, I notice the patterns in their movement.  This might explain why I’ve become a little bit of a rodeo fan.  I started watching rodeo and specifically Iowa bareback rider Tim O’Connell because of a friend, but my continuing to watch definitely has to do with my fascination with movement.  As a side note, I also think I like rodeo because it’s short and sweet and keeps my attention.  I am not one to sit still for any period of time to watch a football or baseball game on TV…but 8 seconds I can handle!!

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As I’ve watched Tim and other riders this year there are a few things that really stand out to me and even though I am seeing these things in his 8 seconds on a bucking horse…I think they are lessons that apply to all of our movement practices.

  1. Centering    This has got to be one of the best examples of a strong center!  These cowboys not only stay on these crazy, bucking horses but they often make it look easy! When I think about the power of the horses and how much core strength it takes to stabilize your body as that horse twists, turns, jumps and does everything it can to throw you off… I’m in awe!  The example in my own life that keeps popping up into my head is when I go on a jet ski ride with my hubby! He seems to think it’s fun to jump big waves and take quick turns and even though I haven’t found the fun in this yet, I always make a point to use centering to not fall off!!   The whole time I’m on the back of the jet ski I am hugging my inner thighs toward my center and engaging my core muscles so that I can constantly adjust to the direction changes and stay centered.  Whether you are trying to keep centered on a horse, a jetski or just keep your balance when you slip on a piece of ice….a strong center is so important!!
  2. Mind Body Connection   I don’t hear the rodeo announcers talking a whole lot about what the cowboys are thinking while they are riding, but I guarantee they have a specific thought process they use every time they get on a horse to ride. To be the best at what they do they have to figure out how to focus their thoughts on exactly what their bodies need to do for those brief 8 seconds.  The human body is capable of some pretty amazing things and I really think that most people don’t realize how simply powerful we are in controlling movement and movement results in our body.  By simply focusing our thoughts on the movements we want to create in our body we can move better and continue to work toward our movement goals.
  3. Consistency   As I’ve watched Tim this year make his way to being the World Champion one of the biggest things that stands out to me is his consistency.  Consistency is of those things that you can only get in a movement practice of any kind…by doing.   You don’t just jump on your first bucking horse and have a solid ride (or least I’m guessing!)  You learn techniques and you practice, practice practice, and then practice some more.  Every time you ride is a chance to practice in your body what your brain knows “technically” how to do.  The more you do it, the more consistent you get and the more “polished” your movement looks.  Most of us aren’t riding bucking horses, but we can use this idea of consistency to produce results in how our bodies move and feel.  If you want to keep your spine flexible and healthy, if you want to keep your muscles strong and flexible…you have to consistently practice these movements in your life!!

Practice What You Teach: Practice, practice, practice

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This weekend I had the chance to workout with one of the trainees in our teacher training program.  I often make the offer to trainees and other instructors that if they want someone to workout beside and practice their traditional order and reps to just let me know. What I love about this type of workout is that having someone beside you going through the sequence and exercises motivates you to stay focused, yet it’s really your workout.  We don’t talk and I definitely don’t teach exercises, we just workout side by side.  It’s not a class where you are waiting for instructions from your teacher, it is truly your movement practice and you are simply practicing the exercises in your body at your level.  After our workout I was reflecting a little on how important it is to create this type of practice time for myself and alspractice-makes-better-gray-free-downloado for my clients.

As a Pilates teacher I spend a lot of my time and focus helping people learn how to move properly and helping them fine tune good movement patterns.  But I
have to remind myself that to be an effective teacher means after making sure someone is being safe and understands the movement, one of your most important jobs is getting them to practice and keep practicing.  The only way to get better at a movement is to practice.  The only way to keep getting stronger and continue to create more balance in your body is to practice.  If someone continues to practice…they will improve their movement, they will maintain and gain strength, balance and flexibility and they will keep progressing.

This conversation reminds me that as a student of the work, more important than mastery or perfection…is the practice.  As a teacher it reminds me that motivating and inspiring clients to stick with their movement practice, to practice on their own, to incorporate it into their life….is just as important as knowing how to how to teach proper mechanics and technique of the exercises.  It all comes down to practice, practice practice!